CTM Holdings LLC v. USDA
Farming family fights government’s illegal restrictions on their livelihood
Iowa attorney Jim Conlan grew up in a farming family, so when considering new investment options, reconnecting with his family legacy through agriculture was a natural fit. But Jim's efforts to support this time-honored industry soon ran headlong into government overreach by regulators that lack his deep respect for farming's critical role in sust ...
Inside Passage Electric Cooperative v. U.S. Department of Agriculture
Nonprofit fights USDA’s roadblock to new green energy in rural Alaska
IPEC is fighting back to rein in the USDA's overreach so they can build sustainable, eco-friendly power projects and improve their customers' quality of life. Represented free of charge by PLF, the cooperative and the Alaska Power Association are challenging the USDA's authority to prohibit construction and maintenance of roads within national fore ...
Dr. Gregory Ringenberg v. United States
Government’s bogus easements threaten family retreat and property rights
The government cannot take private property without the owner's consent unless it pays just compensation. Nor can the government create an easement where none would otherwise exist. Yet, the Forest Service is using every flimsy excuse it can find to take an easement for an access road that leads to nowhere, without paying for it. Dr. Ringenberg ...
Flying Crown Subdivision v. Alaska Railroad Corporation
Planes, trains, and property rights: battling government’s easement abuses
Represented at no charge by Pacific Legal Foundation, the subdivision's homeowners appealed the lower court's decision at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to stop the Alaska Railroad from enshrining easement holders' exclusionary powers at the expense of private property rights. ...
Ralston, et al. v. County of San Mateo, CA, et al.
Government’s regulatory purgatory demotes property rights to second-class status
Courts cannot require Randy to ask the county to allow a land use it will not approve, via a process that does not exist, simply to make his takings case "ready" for the court's review. ...
Stephanie Heigel-Tibbitts v. California Coastal Commission
Couple fights unlawful Coastal Commission limbo to build wheelchair-friendly home
PLF has challenged CCC actions for decades and has several lawsuits in progress, and with PLF's help, the Tibbittses fought back. Here, PLF filed a lawsuit and asked the state court simply to force the CCC to hold a hearing to make a decision on the permit. Just prompting a hearing will set a precedent for coastal property owners to defend their du ...
Sheffield v. George P. Bush, GLO Commissioner
Texas moves the public beach onto private, residential properties
Charles Sheffield is a long-time Texan and surfer who bought beachfront homes in Surfside Beach as a retirement investment. Merry Porter is a native Texan and resident of Surfside Beach who owns and uses a small beachfront home for rental income. In March 2021, without prior notice or compensation, the Texas General Land Office moved the public bea ...
Foster v. U.S. Department of Agriculture
Farming family fights government’s unconstitutional restrictions on their livelihood
Arlen and Cindy Foster are third-generation farmers in Miner County, South Dakota. They have a long history of responsible land conservation, including the tree line Arlen's father planted to prevent erosion. In the winter, deep snow drifts pile in the tree belt and come spring, the melting snow collects in a farm field. A federal agency ruled that ...
Skipper v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Illegal critical habitat designation punishes family’s voluntary conservation efforts
The Skipper family has owned forestland in Clarke County, Alabama, since 1902, which it manages for timber production and conservation. In 1956 they established the Scotch Wildlife Management Area (WMA), agreeing to voluntarily open their land for the state's wildlife conservation efforts and outdoor recreation. In February 2020, the U.S. Fish and ...